Volantis (right) and Keith Donoghue beating Tounsivator© Photo Healy Racing
Volantis continued a real purple batch for the Ross O’Sullivan yard when overcoming trouble in running to record a last gasp victory in the Guinness Galway Tribes Handicap Hurdle.
The 4/1 favourite, runner-up in this race 12 months ago, was locked up in a bunch of horses approaching the penultimate flight but eventually got in the clear to go fourth at the last.
Keith Donoghue ’s mount really dug deep on the run-in making relentless progress to just touch off Tounsivator on the line.
The veteran Lord Erskine held every chance two and a quarter lengths back in third.
O'Sullivan said, "We weren't happy at any point of the race. He's a very hard ride because he needs cover.
“It's exactly what happened last year but he got beat on the line then. This year it just paid off and he was lucky enough to get out.
“He needs to settle and needs cover, around here it's so hard because a lot of horses all week having been on the pace.
“It's relief, if you had asked me one horse that I thought would have won during the week it would have been him.
“Then when the others won I said this was the one that was going to get beat!
“He's a classy horse, he's quick over his hurdles and two miles is his ideal trip.
“The plan was to come back for this race. It's not often it works out so it's great.
“The horses are really just alive. They are even fresh riding out, bucking. It's hard to explain, they are just on the crest of a wave at the minute.
“It's great, it's not going to last forever but long may it last.”
When asked if he could be a horse for the autumn fixtures at Cheltenham he added, “That was the plan last year but he got injured and missed out on the winter, which actually was a benefit in the end because he was only 3lb higher this year.
“He's a nice ground horse, not a real heavy ground winter horse, so we'll definitely roll into the autumn.
“He was very unlucky in Listowel last year as well. We might skip Listowel for the likes of Cheltenham in October and November. Those type of meetings before it gets heavy.”
O’Sullivan has sent out four winners from just four runners this week at the Galway Festival and his previous two runners also won last Friday.
Quotes by Gary Carson
